Mizoram's Aizawl district has reported the highest age-adjusted cancer incidence rate among males in the country for five years from 2012, a study has found.

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According to the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) 2012-2016 report, Aizawl district has recorded the highest age-adjusted incidence rates among males with 269.4 cancer cases per one lakh population. Aizawl is followed by East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya and Kamrup (Metro) in Assam which reported 227.9 and 213 cancer cases per one lakh population, respectively. With 219.8 cancer cases per one lakh population, Papumpare district in Arunachal Pradesh has recorded the highest incidence rate among women, followed by Aizawl district with 214.1 cancer cases per one lakh population among females, the report which was released on August 18 said.

Mizoram as a whole recorded 207 and 172.3 cancer cases of all sites per one lakh population among men and women, respectively. In Asia, Aizawl district has the highest incidence rate of lung cancer in females and also the highest incident rate of stomach cancer in males when compared with Non-Asian countries, the study also showed. Aizawl district also topped in colon cancer in the country among males and females.

The report said that the total number of people diagnosed with cancer cases in Mizoram during 2012-2016 was 8,059, including 3,736 females while 4,080 cancer cases were registered in Aizawl district alone during the same period. In Mizoram, 1 out of every 5 persons (both males and females) has the risk of developing cancer in the age group of 0-74 years.

In Aizawl district, 1 of every 4 males and 1 of every 5 females are likely to develop any cancer site in the age group of 0-74 years. The NCRP also said that the NE region has the highest incidence rate in cancers of oropharynx, oesophagus, nasopharynx, hypopharynx, stomach, colorectal, liver, gallbladder, larynx, lung, cervix uteri and ovary. The highest incidences of tobacco-related cancers in the country was also reported from the northeast. East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya had the highest proportion of tobacco cancer with 70.4 percent in men and 46.5 percent in women.

As for Mizoram, the proportion of tobacco related cancer for men was 43.3 percent and 22.1 for women. Meanwhile, mission director of National Health Mission (NHM), Dr Eric Zomawia attributed the high incidence rate of cancer in Mizoram to use of tobacco, consumption of smoked meats and fermented foods, and unhealthy lifestyle. He said that the government is making massive efforts to check the high incidence rate of cancer in the state

He told PTI that the state government has implemented National Programme for prevention and control of cancer, diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) under NHM as per which screening of patients of three cancers sites from 30 years has been launched all over the state since the past two years.

Mizoram has one cancer hospital in Aizawl's Zemabawk locality and a day care cancer clinic at Lunglei civil hospital in the southern part of the state. According to Zomawia, the government is making an effort to upgrade Zemabawk cancer hospital to Tertiary care cancer centre (TCCC). He also said that the state government will also set up a Rs 500 crore cancer speciality hospital in Aizawl.